Dirigible-headlight control.



H. R. CURBIER. DIRIGI'BLE HEADLIGHT 001mm. APPLICATION FILED [JUNE 30,1915.

1 15mm. Patented 0m. 26, 1915.

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HARVEY JR. CUB/BEER, DANVILLE, ILLINOIS.

DIRIGIBLJE-HEADLIGHT CONTROL.

Application filed June 30, 1915. Serial No. 37,278.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARVEY R. CUfiRIER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Danville, in the county of Vermilion and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Dirigible- Headlight Controls, of which the following is as )ecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. p

My present invention relates to new and useful improvements in apparatus for steering the headlights of motor vehicles and as one of its principal objects aims to provide an improved apparatus of this character which is relatively simple in construction and may, consequently, be cheaply manufactured and readily applied to any standard type of automobile, without requiring any changes or alterations in the construction thereof.

Another object is to interpose in the connection between the spindles of the lamps and the transverse rod, which is connected to the front wheel knuckles, a connecting element which is of such nature that while it will cause the turning of the lamp spindles and consequently the lamps in accordance with the transverse movement of the rod, it will compensate for the vertical movement of the lamp when the automobile is passing over rough ground and the springs are,

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therefore, yielding and expanding.

The above, and other incidental objects of a similar nature', which will be hereinafter more specifically treated, are accomplished by such means as are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, described inthe following specification, and then more particularly pointed out in the claim which is appended hereto and forms part of this application.

With reference to the drawings, wherein there has been'illustrated the preferred embodiment of this invention, as it is reduced to practice, and throughoutthe several views of which similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts, Figure 1 is a top plan view; Fig. 2 is a detail view in front elevation of the mechanism at one side of the vehicle; Fig. 3 is a detail view in side elevation of the mechanism at the other side of the vehicle; and Fig. 4=is a detail section of the lower end of one of the spindles, showing the engagement of the operating arm therewith;

In the embodiment of my invention illus- Specification oi Letters Patent.

Patented Uct. ac, 1%15.

the chassis members 20 and 21, by means ofbolts or equivalent fastening devices, indicated at 22. As will be seen upon reference to Fig. 2, the lower terminals of the spindles depend a considerable distance below the forward springs of the automobile As a means for bracing the bearing sleeves, I provide a transverse rod 23, which member is terminally secured by bolts or equivalent fastening devices to the laterally extending apertured ears 24 formed on the bearingsleeves. These rods serve also to prevent the loosening of the bearing sleeves through vibration. It is desired to explain that the terminals of the rod may be connected to the bearing sleeves by clamps or any other fastening means.

Asa means for turning the spindles in accordance with the deflection of the front explained that the steering rod 25 shown in the drawings, represents the transverse rod which is ordinarily provided for connecting the knuckles of the front wheels of a motor vehicle. In case the steering gear of the particular vehicle to which the invention is to be applied is of such nature that the transverse rod is not present, or is so located that it will be impractical to attach the arms 26 and 27 to it, an additional transverse rodmay be connected to the knuckles of the front wheels.

The rear ends of the members 26 and 27 areextended vertically and are formed as two piece clamps, as shown best in Fig. 3.

Bolts, indicated at 30 are, of course, employed in securing the two. elements of the clamp about the transverse steering rod.

The forward ends of the members 26 and 27 are provided with ball sockets, indicated at'31l These sockets 31' receive the ball 11 ds 32 which are formed in the endsof the members 28 and 29, as in Fig. 1. In order to permit the lamps and spindlesto move vertically, relative to the members 26 and 27, under the action of the vehicle springs, I form the lower terminals 34 of the lamp spindles with perforations orv eyes 33, these eyes being chamfered from the middle or outwardly flaring, so as to permit the free vertical motion of the arms 28 and 29, without binding in the spindle eyes. As will be seen from Fig. 4, the arms 28 and 29 thus have angular movement in a vertical plane with respect to their respective spindles and are also movable longitudinally through the eyes of the spindles, but engage with the spindles for unitary movement when the arms 29 are shifted in a horizontal plane.

From the foregoing description and upon reference particularly to Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings, it will now be apparent that the transverse movement of the steeflihg rod, as a result of the deflecting of the front wheels of the vehicle, will be communicated to the spindles of the lamps by means of the arms 26' and 27 and 28 and 29. The turning of the spindles will, of course, result in the turning of the lamps, since the yokes 12 and 13 are relatively fixed upon the upper ends of the spindles.

I now desire to direct particular attention to the fact that the ball and socket connections between the members 26 and 28, and

27 and 29, together with the peculiarly formed eyes in the spindles, are adapted to take up the vertical movement of the arms 28 and 29 when the springs of the vehicle are yielding or expanding. Also these ball and socket joints constitute pivotal connections.

In reduction to practice, it has been found that the form of this invention illustrated in the drawings, and referred to in the above description as the preferred embodiment, is the most efficient and practical; yet realizing that the conditions concurrent with the adoption of this device will necessarily vary,

it is desirable to emphasize the fact that various minor changes in the details of construction, proportion and arrangement. of parts may be resorted to, when required, without sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention, .as defined by the appended claim.

What is claimed, is

In a headlight steering mechanism for vehicles, a lamp supporting spindle rotatably supported by the vehicle and having its lower extremity provided with an eye, an arm disposed through the eye of the spindle, a transverse rod, an arm relatively fixed upon the rod and having an extremity provided with a socket, the first named arm having an extremity provided with a ball mounted in the socket of the second named arm to afford a joint freely, connecting the adjacent extremities of said first named and second named arms.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HARVEY 1t. CURRIER.

Witnesses:

ALFRED COLEMAN, JOHN R. MARTIN.

ISO 

